Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO S THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
24 For he (the Lord) has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. - Psalm 22:24(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. - Proverbs 4:6(New International Version).

A QUOTE
The holy life to which the Lord calls us is possible because He enables us to do His will. - Neil B. Wiseman -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Don't complain. The wheel that squeaks the loudest often gets replaced. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In. . . Swim Out to Meet It! -
He that is of the opinion that money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. - From Proverbs for Daily Living -

NOTES
Today has been a partly cloudy day in McAlester, Oklahoma, with a high temperature of 48 degrees and a low temperature of 19 degrees. I saw Charley and Bill at noon. I went to the post office and then by Braum's for an item. I took my nap in early afternoon with Tony. I put treats outside for the cats at 4:30 p.m. Since last time I have heard from Michelle, Alice, Geneva and Audie (my cousin). I am always happy to get those e-mails.
The cats are fine. I have seen all of them this evening.
I hope everyone has a nice Saturday!
I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. - Psalm 147:6(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(God said to Abraham) 7 "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." - Genesis 17:7(New International Version).

A QUOTE
Safety does not depend on our conception of the absence of danger. Safety is found in God's presence, in the center of His perfect will. - T. J. Bach -
,br /> THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
He that would please all , and himself too, undertakes what he cannot do. - From Proverbs for Daily Living -
Too many people avoid discovering the secret of success because deep down they suspect the secret may be hard work. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In. . . Swim Out to Meet It! -

NOTES
Today has been mostly sunny in McAlester, Oklahoma, with a high temperature of 47 degrees and a low temperature of 21 degrees. I say Charley and Bill at noon. I went to the post office. I took my nap in early afternoon with Tony. I put treats outside for the cats at about 4:40 p.m. That's about all that happened to me today. The day has been quite uneventful. Since last time I have had nice e-mails from Burlene, Alice, Michelle and Patti. As always, I appreciate your e-mails.
The cats are fine. Leo is asleep on the sofa here in the den for a change. Rascal is in the recliner. The others are around because I have seen all of them this evening.
I hope everyone has a nice Friday!
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

On Wed, Jan 2, 2013 at 10:54 PM, Everett Christian wrote: GOOD THINGS Wednesday, January 2, 2013 GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. - 1 John 5:14-15(New International Version). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD (God said to Noah) 14 "Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” - Genesis 9:14-16(New International Version).

A QUOTE The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does. - Thomas A. Kempis -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Wish not so much to live long as to live well. - From Proverbs for Daily Living -
You draw nothing out of the bank of life except what you deposit in it. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In. . . Swim Out to Meet It! -

NOTES
Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 38 degrees and a low temperature of 25 degrees. I had lunch with Bill and Pastor JT. Charley has a luncheon at his church the first Wednesday of every month. After lunch I went to the post office and then to Walmart for some items. At around 2:30 p.m. I took my afternoon nap with Tony. At 4:30 p.m. I put treats outside for the cats. At 6:00 p.m. I watched a Billy Graham Crusade Classic taped in Meadowlands, New Jersey, in 1991. Since last time I have heard from Michelle, Mary Jo, Alice and Geneva. I am always happy to get e-mails.
The cats are fine. Rascal is in his usual place. The others are asleep in various places. You know that cats sleep a lot more than they are awake. I have seen all of them today.
I hope everyone has a nice Thursday.
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Posted to Religious by Que Clingerman @ 6:51 pm EST

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Daily Ornament

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

Daily Ornament!
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” – Colossians 1:15-20
,br /> One of the most powerful poems ever written with a biblical theme was James Weldon Johnson’s poem, Creation. It originally appeared in print in The Book of American Negro Poetry, edited by Johnson and published by Harcourt, Brace and Company in 1922. Here is the opening verse:

And God stepped out on space, And He looked around and said, “I’m lonely—I’ll make me a world.” And far as the eye of God could see Darkness covered everything, Blacker than a hundred midnights Down in a cypress swamp.
I’ve never been “down in a cypress swamp” at midnight, but I believe Johnson when he said that it was “blacker than a hundred midnights” when “darkness covered everything.” That’s what faced God when Creation began—darkness! And what changed darkness into light? Here is how Johnson described it:
Then God smiled, And the light broke, And the darkness rolled up on one side, And the light stood shining on the other, And God said, ‘That’s good!’

I wonder what God thinks when he reflects on his world today and examines the plight of families and nations. Would he say, “That’s good”? or would he ask, “What have you done with my Creation?” “Regret” is not a description of God that can be found in the biblical record. But “grief” is. In Genesis 6:6 are these words: “The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” The King James Version translates the word “grieved” as, “it repented the Lord.”
Did God become “repentant” because of something He had done? Did God change his mind about having created humankind? Not at all. He grieved because of something human beings had done. Would he be grieved today at what nations have done to the world that brought a smile to his face originally? I believe he would. If that is the case, what do we need to do to create the right kind of change in our nation and world? This often-quoted verse in 2nd Chronicles says it very well:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2nd Chronicles 7:14
Here is how Johnson concludes his poem:

Up from the bed of the river God scooped the clay; And by the bank of the river He kneeled Him down; And there the great God Almighty—Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand; This Great God, Like a mammy bending over her baby, Kneeled down in the dust—Toiling over a lump of clay Till He shaped it in His own image; Then into it He blew the breath of life, And man became a living soul. Amen. Amen.,BR /> What will it take to be re-created by God? There are many who are broken and are in need of God’s power to be “re-created” into His glorious image. Let him blow the breath of life into your soul. He is ready.
Pastor J. T. Carnell.

Daily Ornament

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

Daily Ornament!
“Let your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love.” – Psalm 31:16

The Apostle Paul reminds us that…“Love is Patient.” How true that is especially when it comes to dealing with people whose constant misbehaviors and actions do everything to test that love.
The author of the Advent devotional Illuminate reminds us of how many times God was rejected by the people He had set aside for Himself. Time and again God attempted to guide and direct them, but they quickly turned away. They refused to be gathered under the protection of God’s wings. But God’s patience is not like our own. For thousands of years He has held steady to His Covenant—standing behind His people even if and when they did not stand with and for Him. In today’s gospel reading we see Jesus revealing the heart of God and the love of God for these stubborn people, even though they neither deserved it and at times accepted it.
Admit it—Christmas/Advent is a time that definitely tests our patience, not only with others but sometimes with ourselves. We think we have to do it all, get it all, be everywhere, do everything—and we neglect to do the one think that Advent calls us to do, worship Christ! Maybe that is why I am drawn to the “Wise Men!” Their patience in searching for the one who was born, “King of the Jews” led them to travel a number of miles, going to several places before they were to find the object of their search, the Christ-child, who at the time was believed to already have been about 2-years old. That means they had been searching (and/or researching) for at least that long.
Wow!! We struggle sitting through a two-hour service in search of truth. Can you imagine two-years? No, we can’t. We are not conditioned to wait. We want things now! We buy something online (to prevent getting out) and we want it overnight so we pay more than we would if we had gone to the store. Does that make sense? We want “instant” relationships—so instead of taking the time to develop them we turn again to the internet in search of love to find that perfect “soul-mate.” And for those who think that is utter nonsense we have a friend who did just that! Many cannot wait for Christmas morning to open presents so they create a new tradition by opening them up on Christmas Eve…and for those who cannot wait for that are now celebrating Christmas Eve with a Christmas eve’s eve recognition. (I am not making this up!)
And what about the Church? It is not exempt from our cultural instant gratification system. Too many want a Church that will give them what they need now instead of putting their whole heart and energy into the Church. They want to be served first, instead of serving others and most importantly, the One for whom the Church stands for.
A few things to consider here: First, don’t expect more out yourself than what you are physically and financially capable of! Don’t overextend yourself for something that a couple of months from now will be forgotten! Second, don’t expect more from others than what they are capable of or what they were meant to be. And what may be the most important message of all—don’t expect Christmas to be your savior! Many businesses rely on Christmas revenue to make their year successful—and in the same way there are those who place their hope that this time will make them happy. They have made the season their savior!
The Jews were looking for the Messiah, and yet when He was in their midst they failed to recognize Him. He is still in our midst, and it is not hard to find Him—just look at the word [Christ]mas. He’s there—He’s here. He’s patiently waiting to hear from you.
Pastor J. T. Carnell